Contour duplicator



April 10, 1956 M -r0 ETAL 2,741,033

Filed May 1954 I I INVENTORS T171 4 1 17/5 And/6W d. Amazo c2 dos e h R.L. Dqdgeon April 10, 1956 A. J. AMATO ET AL 2,741,033

CONTOUR DUPLICATOR Filed May 18, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Andrew M. 4/770 0Joseg h R. L.0udgeo/7 1N EN TORS United States Patent ce CONTOURDUPLICATOR Andrew J. Amato, Winchester, and Joseph R. L. Dudgeon,Arlington, Mass.

Application May 18, 1954, Serial No. 430,524

4 Claims. (Cl. 33-175) be matched, the device being simple inconstruction, be-

ing easy to manipulate and providing an accurate reproduction of thecontour of the object against which it is placed. I

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved contourduplicator which provides an. accurate reproduction of a contour to befitted and also provides a quantitative measurement both longitudinallyand transversely of said contour, the device involving inexpensivecomponents, being rugged in construction, and being easy to read.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claims, and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an improved contour duplicating deviceconstructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the contour duplicating device ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the sleeve-like housing of the contourduplicating device of Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged side elevational view of the rotary wedge memberemployed in the device of Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 5 is an end elevational view of the wedge member of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a top view of the wedge member of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the lamination guide collar employedin the device of Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of one of the laminations employed in thecontour duplicating device of Figures 1 and 2. v

Figure 9 is an enlarged cross sectional detail view taken on the line 99of Figure 10.

Figure 10 is a top plan view of the device of Figure 1, shown engagedwith a molding whose contour is to be duplicated and illustrating themanner of using the contour duplicating device.

Referring to the drawings, the contour duplicating device is designatedgenerally at 11 and comprises a generally rectangular sleeve-likehousing 12 having the rectangular bottom wall 13, the relatively narrowside walls 14 and 15, and the transversely extending, relatively shorttop wall 16 which is located at the forward end of the housing 12.Designated at 17 are a plurality of identical laminations which areslidably disposed in the housing 12 for longitudinal sliding movementtherein, the

r 2,741,033 Patented Apr. 10, 1956 laminations 17 beingdisposed inside-by-side relationship,

as is clearly shown in Figures 1, 7 and 8, and having enlarged forwardhead portions 18 which project from the forward end of the housingmember 12 adjacent the relatively short top wall 16 of the housing.

Surrounding the laminations 17 immediately adjacent the enlarged headportions 18 of the laminations is a rectangular collar member 19 havingthe same transverse cross sectional shape as the housing 12 and beingprovided with the transversely extending upstanding flange 20 arrangedto abut the shoulders defined between the upper portions of the headelements 18 and the remainder of the laminations. The head elements 18are also formed with the depending portions 21 having bottom edgescoplanar with the bottom plane of housing 12.

The head elements 18 are formed with tapered ends 22 defining verticalabutment edges 23 at the forward tips of the head elements which areengageable against a contour to be duplicated, as will be presentlydescribed.

Designated at 24 is a wedge member which is generally triangular inshape and which is formed with an aperture 25 at one corner throughwhich extends a transverse lug 26 defined between a pair oflongitudinally extending slots 27 and 28 formed in the housing top wall16 adjacent the side walls 15 thereof, as is shown in Figure 3. Thewedge member 24 is formed at the corner thereof opposite the aperture 25with the transversely extending finger lug 29 which normally engages thetop surface of the Wall 15 of housing 12, as shown in Figure 1. Wedgemember 24 has a tapered intermediate portion 50. Thetapered'intermediate portion 50 or" the wedge member 24 is interposedbetween the last lamination 17 and the side wall 15 of the housing,asiis clearly shown in Figure 7. This trictionally locks the laminationsagainst longitudinal movement. When the pivotal wedge member 24 isrotated counterclockwise from the position thereof shown in Figure 1, asby elevating the finger lug 29, the tapered intermediate portion 50 ofthe rotary wedge 24 is disengaged from between the laminations and theside wall is, releasing the laminations for longitudinal slidingmovement in the housing 12.

The top wall 16 is formed with a transversely extending inch scale 38which is located at the transverse edge of the wall opposite the headelements 18 of the laminations, as shown in Figure 3. The top surface ofthe bottom wall 13 of the housing 12 is provided with a longitudinally,extending depth scale 31 which may be calibrated in inches, similar tothe calibrations of the scale 30, which is visible when the laminationsare moved forwardly through the housing 12, as illustrated in Figure 8.

In using the device, the rotary wedge member 24 is moved to its releasedposition, as by elevating the lug 29, leaving the laminations free forlongitudinal sliding movement in the housing 12. The head elements 21are then engaged against the contour to be measured, such as the moldingcontour 32 shown in Figure 8, the abutment portions 23 of the headelements being engaged against the contour 32 and the laminations beingmoved substantial distances through the housing 12, to expose the depthscale 31 on the top surface of bottom wall 13, as is shown in Figure 8.The forward portions of the laminations 17 are supported by the collar19, the upstanding fiange 20 on said collar serving to hold the headportions 18 of the laminations engaged with the straight portion of themolding 32 in alignment.

The laminations are provided at their rear ends with upstanding lugelements 33, whereby the laminations may be manually pushed intopositions wherein their head tips 23 closely engage the contour to beduplicated, and said contour is then duplicated at the rear ends of thelaminations, as is clearly shown in Figure 8. The laminations may thenbe locked by rotating the rotary wedge 28 to the position thereof shownin Figure 1, namely, to a position wherein the finger tab 29 engages thetop wall 16, in which position the laminations 17 are frictionallysecured in adjusted positions in housing 12.

The contour 32 will thus be duplicated at the rear ends of thelaminations 17, namely, at the upstanding lugs 33, and the matingcontour will be defined by the configuration of the abutment tips 23 atthe forward ends of the laminations. The relative depth of the variousportions of the contour may be read from the longitudinally extendingscale 31 on the top surface or. the bottom wall 13, and the transverselocations of the different points along the contour may be determinedfrom the transversely extending scale 30 provided on the top wall 16.

While a specific embodiment of an improved contour duplicating devicehas been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understoodthat various modifica tions within the spirit of the invention may occurto those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that nolimitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope ofthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A contour duplicating device comprising a sleevelike housing memberhaving a top Wall, a plurality of identical laminations slidablydisposed in said housing member in side-by-side relationship andprojecting from said housing member, the ends of said laminations beingadapted to be disposed against the contour to be duplicated, a wedgemember pivoted to said housing member for rotation in a plane parallelto the planes of said laminations and being rotatable in said plane towedgingly engage at least one of said laminations in said plane to exertwedging force normal to said plane and to frictionally lock saidlaminations in fixed positions in said housing member, and means on saidwedge member engageable with said top wall when said wedge member hasbeen rotated to a position frietionally locking said laminations infixed positions.

2. A contour duplicating device comprising a sleevelike housing memberhaving a top wall, a plurality of identical laminations slidablydisposed in said housing member in side-by-side relationship andprojecting from said housing member, said laminations having taperedends adapted to be disposed against a contour to be duplicated a wedgemember pivoted to said housing member adjacent said tapered end forrotation in a plane parallel to the planes of said laminations and beingrotatable in said plane to wedgingly engage at least one of saidlaminations to exert wedging force normal to said plane and tofrictionally lock said laminations in fixed positions in said housingmember, and means on said wedge member engageable with said top wallwhen said wedge member has been rotated to a position frictionaliylocking said laminations in fixed positions.

3. A contour duplicating device comprising a sleevelike housing memberhaving a top wall, a plurality of identical laminations slidablydisposed in said housing member inside-by-side relationship andprojecting from said housing member, said laminations having taperedends adapted 'to be disposed against a contour to be duplicated, a wedgemember pivoted to said housing member adjacent said tapered ends forrotation in a plane parallel to the planes of said laminations and beingrotatable in said plane to wedgingly engage between one of thelaminations and a side wall of said housing member to exert Wedgingforce normal to said plane and to frictionally lock said laminations infixed positions in said housing member, and means on said wedge memberengageable with said top wall when said wedge member has been rotated toa position frictionally locking said laminations in fixed positions.

4. A contour duplicating device comprising a generally rectangularsleeve-like housing member having a top wall, a plurality of identicallaminations slidably disposed in said housing member in side-by-siderelationship and projecting from said housing member, said laminationshaving tapered ends adapted to be disposed against a contour to beduplicated, the top wall of said housing member being relatively shortas compared with the remainder thereof and being located adjacent thetapered ends of the laminations, a wedge member pivoted to said top walladjacent said tapered ends for rotation in a plane parallel to theplanes of said laminations and being rotatable in said plane towedgingly engage between one of the laminations and a side wall of saidhousing member to exert wedging force normal to said plane and tofrictionally lock said laminations in fixed positions in said housingmember, a transversely extending scale on said top wall, alongitudinally extending scale on the bottom wall of said housingmember, and a laterally extending lug on the upper edge of said Wedgemember engageable with said top wall when said wedge member has beenrotated to a position frictionally locking said laminations in saidfixed positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS255,130 Bartier Mar. 21, 1882 477,105 Darling June 14, 1892 1,041,145Moss Oct. 15, 1912 1,243,786 White Oct. 23, 1917 2,445,324 GreenwellJuly 20, 1948 2,615,256 Olson Oct. 28, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 6,226 GreatBritain Apr. 27, 1888

